نازَعتُهُ غُلُسَ الظَلامِ مُدامَةً

نازَعتُهُ غُلُسَ الظَلامِ مُدامَةً

تَتَعَلَّمُ الإِسكارَ مِن لَحَظاتِهِ

تَتَعَلَّمُ الإِسكارَ مِن لَحَظاتِهِ

In the predawn darkness I shared wine with him,

I contended with him through the darkness of nightfall

Wine that learns to intoxicate from his glances.

Learning intoxication from his glances

وَكَأَنَّها مَعصورَةٌ مِن خَدِّهِ

وَكَأَنَّها مَعصورَةٌ مِن خَدِّهِ

مَعصوبَةٌ بُالدُرِّ مِن كَلِماتِهِ

مَعصوبَةٌ بُالدُرِّ مِن كَلِماتِهِ

And as though it were pressed from his cheek,

As if squeezed from his cheek

Wreathed with pearls from his words.

Pressed with pearls from his words

تَشكو الزَمانَ وَذاكَ مِن لَذّاتِهِ

تَشكو الزَمانَ وَذاكَ مِن لَذّاتِهِ

وَبَقاءُ إِسماعيلَ مِن حَسَناتِهِ

وَبَقاءُ إِسماعيلَ مِن حَسَناتِهِ

You complain of Time, yet that is among its delights,

Complaining of fate, yet that is of his pleasures

And Ismail's continued life is among its good deeds.

And the survival of Ismael among his virtues

هَذا تَعَدٍّ في الشِكايَةَ ظاهِرٌ

هَذا تَعَدٍّ في الشِكايَةَ ظاهِرٌ

وَلَرُبَّ شاكٍ مُعتَدٍ بِشِكاتِهِ

وَلَرُبَّ شاكٍ مُعتَدٍ بِشِكاتِهِ

This is a clear transgression in complaining;

This is clear excess in complaining

And many a complainer oversteps in his complaint.

And many a complainer oversteps with his complaints

كافي الكُفاةَ بِرَأيِهِ وَعَزيمَةٍ

كافي الكُفاةَ بِرَأيِهِ وَعَزيمَةٍ

كَزَمانِهِ بِخُطوبِهِ وَهِباتِهِ

كَزَمانِهِ بِخُطوبِهِ وَهِباتِهِ

The mainstay of the able, through his judgment and resolve,

His resolve and opinion suffice the capable

Is like his age in its calamities and its gifts:

As his time with its afflictions and gifts

كَالسَيفِ في غَمَراتِهِ وَالبَدرُ في

كَالسَيفِ في غَمَراتِهِ وَالبَدرُ في

ظُلُماتِهِ وَالغَيثُ في أَزَماتِهِ

ظُلُماتِهِ وَالغَيثُ في أَزَماتِهِ

Like the sword amid its perils, and the full moon in

Like the sword in its plunges, the moon in

Its darkness, and the rain in its times of scarcity.

Its darkness, rain in its times of need